Ionikos FC
 |
|
| Full name |
PAE Ionikos Nikaias (Ionikos Nikaias F.C.) (Greek: Ιωνικός Νικαίας) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1965 |
| Ground | Neapolis Public Stadium, Nikaia, Piraeus, Greece |
| Capacity | 6,000 |
| Owner |
 Charalampos Rigakis |
| President |
Charalampos Rigakis |
| Head Coach |
Ilias Kalopitas |
| League | Gamma Ethniki |
| 2015-16 | Gamma Ethniki (Group 4) 7th |
| Website | Club home page |
Ionikos F.C., also known as Ionikos Nikaias (Greek: ΠΑΕ Ιωνικός Νίκαιας), is a professional football club based in Nikaia, Piraeus, Greece, currently competing in Football League 2, the Greek third division.
From 1989 to 2007 Ionikos spent 16 out of 18 seasons in Greek Super League. During that span Ionikos finished as high as 5th-place in the league (on two occasions), was a finalist in the Greek Cup, and participated in the UEFA Cup.
The club's colours are blue and white.
Ionikos was established in 1965, from a merger of local clubs Nikaia Sports Union and Aris Piraeus, with Alex Meraklidis as new club's first president. The club's early years were not easy, but, with the support of its fans, Ionikos slowly improved through the 1970s and 1980s and eventually reached the top division in 1989.
The club's first promotion to the top flight was accompanied by unexpected problems—Dimitris Melissanidis withdrew as chairman, and the club needed 50 million drachmas to participate in the championship. Fortunately, businessman Nikolaos Kanellakis stepped forward to provide the needed sum and become the club's new chairman.
Kanellakis' arrival would be the beginning of the club's greatest era—from the 1989 promotion, Ionikos would spend 16 of the next 18 seasons in the Greek top flight, up until 2007, and during that time the team would finish as high as 5th-place in the league (on two occasions), reach a Greek Cup Final, and compete in the UEFA Cup.
Ionikos' UEFA Cup appearance came in the 1999–00 season—the opposition was French side Nantes, and Ionikos lost both home and away matches, 1–3 and 0–1, respectively. Ionikos reached the Greek Cup Final later that same season, where they came up against traditional power AEK, and, despite a valiant Ionikos effort, AEK won the match, 3–0.
...
Wikipedia